Best Workout Split for Maximum Muscle Gains

You have probably seen countless workout programs online and wondered which one to choose. Is there a best workout split for maximum muscle gains? Find out below.

When it comes to training for building muscle, your workout program has to be on point. A healthy eating habit is the foundation of any goal when it comes to getting fitter and stronger, but a workout split program will get you that extra advantage to reach your goals.

And with so many options out there, which is the best workout split for maximum muscle gains? Jeff Cavaliere gives his opinion on the matter.

Jeff Cavaliere was the head physical therapist of the New York Mets for 3 years and is now a YouTube sensation. He delivers clear information without noise on his ATHLEAN-X YouTube channel.

He compared 3 workouts split:

• Total body split
• Push/Pull/Legs
• Bro split

Best Workout Split for Maximum Muscle Gains

Total Body Split

• Workout 6 days a week
• Push/pull workout style

Utilising a push/pull workout style, you can hit the gym 6 days a week and still train your entire body every day, hitting all major muscles.

If you choose the correct exercises, you will be stimulating the same muscle groups and functions every 48 hours, which gives enough rest for muscles to grow.

Push/Pull Legs

• Workout 6 days a week – can be reduced to 3 days a week

This type of training split is different as it trains you to become an athlete, rather than a bodybuilder. “It pairs muscles together that share similar functions,” Cavaliere says, which is what our bodies do in our daily activities.

Instead of doing 2 push, 2 pull and 2 legs days every week, you can reduce to 3 days a week, giving even more recovery time between exercises.

Try This Push Pull Legs Routine

Bro Split

• Workout 6 days a week
• Divide training days into a specific muscle group (shoulders, chest, triceps, back, biceps, legs)

What is the end goal of your training workout? “If it’s straight hypertrophy, there are going to be benefits to bro splits, in terms of developing muscle and building muscle like a body builder,” Cavaliere says.

The bad reputation that bro splits workout training program get is because there is some overlapping in muscles. You may be doing push exercises while training your shoulders, chest and triceps and will not leave room for recovery of said muscles.

But you can still take the idea of the bro split and make it work for you. It all depends on exercise selection and muscle group selection. You can, and probably should, train your legs twice a week and use those days as a rest day for your upper body.

Two bro splits examples that Cavaliere believes to be better than the common one we see online:

However, for this workout to be beneficial, you have to choose the correct exercises.

The Best Workout Split for Maximum Muscle Gains

In the end, Jeff Cavaliere explains that there is no best workout split for maximum muscle gains.

“These things can vary in their success level because of the different variables and even the person’s ability to sleep well between the accessions,” he says.

That is why having a coach with you can be the missing link to get to your goals. Because there are many different options for athletes to push harder and get stronger.

It is also important to change your workout routine every 6-8 weeks so that your body does not grow accustomed to the exercises. That means you might have to change from one workout split to a different one.

Test what is best for you and, if needed, mix the theory of one training program with another one to see what happens. That, in the end, is the best workout split for maximum muscle gains.

Read More: 5 Training Programs to Gain Size and Mass